Goal 12: Policies, processes and practices

The following page outlines specific policies, process and practices in support of Sustainable Development Goal 12 Responsible consumption and production.

Ethical sourcing policy 

The University has a range of policies that guide the ethical sourcing of food and supplies.

The Sustainable Food Policy (2023) sets out a commitment to prioritising ethical and responsible sourcing by:

• Buying locally and seasonally to support UK producers.
• Continuing membership of Manchester Veg People, a co-operative of local organic growers and buyers that is helping to develop a new model for the local food supply chain.
• Purchasing high-welfare meat and dairy to promote animal welfare and reduce environmental impacts.
• Sourcing sustainable seafood to protect fish stocks and support healthy marine ecosystems.

The Animal Welfare Policy (2023–24) reinforces these commitments by setting clear standards for suppliers and procurement:

• All suppliers of poultry and dairy must hold Farm-Assured and Red Tractor accreditation.
• The University will only purchase British poultry and eggs.
• The University will only source fish from sustainable sources and will avoid any species listed as endangered by the Marine Stewardship Council.

The Fairtrade Policy (2022) further supports ethical sourcing by promoting fair trade principles across campus.

• A dedicated Fairtrade Steering Group continually monitors and improves the University’s approach to Fairtrade.
• The range and availability of Fairtrade products is being increased across all outlets.
• Fairtrade tea, coffee, hot chocolate and sugar are offered at all internal meetings and catering outlets.
• Close collaboration with the Students’ Union supports campaigns that raise awareness of Fairtrade and encourage the uptake of Fairtrade products among staff, students and visitors.

Disposable policy: extensions to services

Our environmental policies extend to outsourced services and the supply chain through our approach to responsible procurement, which ensures our outsourced suppliers of services, and supplier outsourced services, are responsible for a full range of social, economic and environmental considerations, including minimisation of plastics and disposable items.

Our Sustainable Procurement Action Plan (reviewed 2023) outlines how these policies are applied across services and the supply chain. It requires that procurement and outsourced services actively contribute to sustainability objectives, including reducing Scope 3 emissions from purchased goods, waste, and supplier operations. All suppliers are expected to meet recognised sustainability standards, such as ISO 20400 for sustainable procurement, and to adhere to our Supply Chain Code of Conduct, which embeds environmental, social, and ethical principles.

We promote circular economy practices, such as reuse, repair, and recycling, and integrate waste minimisation requirements into tendering, contracting, and performance management processes. Contractors for Construction and refurbishment are required to consider environmental sustainability across every stage of construction works, to ensure resource efficiency in design and operation and limit negative environmental impact. For any project exceeding £100,000 or of environmental significance, suppliers must complete an Environmental Sustainability Project Tracker, which sets clear targets for resource efficiency, energy use, and environmental impact.

Additionally, we require that building contractors build to a minimum BREEAM “Excellent” rating for new builds, and “Very Good” for refurbishments. BREEAM is a leading sustainability assessment that measures a building’s environmental performance. To ensuring adherence to these high sustainability standards, the University appoints Environmental Sustainability Advisors who guide and monitor large-scale developments.

Minimisation policies extended to suppliers

Suppliers to the University, including those providing equipment, stationery, and building contracts, are required to minimize their use of disposable materials through the procedures established for awarding and managing university contracts, following our approach to responsible procurement. This ensures that outsourced suppliers and our supply chain address a full range of social, economic, and environmental considerations as outlined in our Sustainable Procurement Action Plan (reviewed 2023).

In addition, our Supplier Terms and Conditions (ESG) include specific provisions requiring suppliers to minimize any negative impact on climate and biodiversity, as well as reduce their own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We track and monitor behavior and actions throughout our supply chain to ensure compliance.

As part of our Supplier Engagement Program, particularly through the UOM Supplier Engagement Tool, we collect and track suppliers’ sustainability credentials, including supply chain emissions data and carbon reduction plans. The tool supports suppliers in reducing their carbon footprint, minimizing waste, and encouraging reuse, contributing to building more sustainable supply chains.

For example, our contract with Computer Disposal Limited (CDL) ensures that this outsourced supplier reuses equipment with local charities and developing countries. Additionally, we are the first UK university to meet Level 5 of the Government’s Flexible Framework for responsible procurement, which includes outsourced suppliers, and we employ an award-winning Net Positive Tool.

Waste disposal

Hazardous materials

We have clear policies and procedures for the safe management and disposal of hazardous waste, supported by training, regulatory compliance, and faculty-level implementation.

 The 2024 Environmental Sustainability Code of Practice for Professional Services outlines operational priorities, including the safe handling and disposal of hazardous waste. The Environmental Sustainability Strategy sets specific targets and initiatives related to waste management, including hazardous materials. We follow ‘Control of Substances Hazardous to Health‘ (COSHH) regulations, offering training and guidance on safe usage and disposal of potentially toxic substances, particularly in our laboratories. To track chemicals, we use the mandatory Lab Cup inventory system, alongside the LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework), ensuring proper chemical labelling, storage, and disposal in line with our Hazardous Waste Policy.

Within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (FBMH), hazardous waste is addressed from the planning stage of experiments, including source reduction, substitution with safer alternatives, and shared resource use. Responsibilities are clearly defined: principal investigators and supervisors must ensure systems and training are in place, while all staff and students are responsible for correct disposal.

FBMH procedures prohibit unsafe practices such as “dilute and disperse” disposal and list specific substances (e.g. solvents, carcinogens, heavy metals) that must never enter drains. Detailed protocols cover container compatibility, labelling, segregation, secure storage, and regular disposal. Hazardous waste is managed through a formal Stopford Stores disposal process, including documentation, sign-off, and safe transport.

Landfill policy

We have policies to measure the amount of waste sent to landfill and recycled, with commitments to reducing overall waste production. These policies are outlined in our Environmental Sustainability strategy (2023-28); the University is committed to developing sustainable waste management practices and upholding the principles of reduce, re-use, and recycle across the organisation. We aim to recycle 45% of the waste produced through campus operations by 2025 and to divert 100% of waste, including general, clinical, and offensive, from landfill through our new waste contracts starting in 2023.

Where disposal of waste is the only viable option, we actively seek to use more sustainable treatment technologies to reduce waste sent to landfill. Our policy and current waste contract ensures that zero waste is sent direct to landfill. This is achieved by taking all non-recyclable (residual*) waste to a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Trafford Park where it is shredded before it is transferred to a facility in FerryBridge in West Yorkshire run by Multifuel Energy Ltd where it is used as a Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).

Our ES website details initiatives that align with these policies and targets. For instance; our Furniture Reuse Store diverted 99.6 tonnes from landfill through reuse by the University and local schools and charities, and our Give It Don’t Bin It student reuse scheme sent 53.7 tonnes of unwanted resources to the British Heart Foundation. 

Waste measurement

Our university as a body measures the amount of waste generated and recycled across the university. In 2023/24 the amount of waste produced across the whole University, including residences and construction waste is 2,769.1 tonnes. Of this, 2,731.2 tonnes were recycled (including composting, anaerobic digestion, and energy recovery) and 37.8 tonnes were sent to landfill.

Over the same time frame, the amount of waste that was produced solely on campus, and its end of life, can be found here: Waste and Recycling (The University of Manchester).

Plastic minimisation

We have multiple policies which cover minimising plastic usage. Our 2024 Responsible Plastic Action Plan details the actions we are taking, and the targets we look to achieve by 2025. 

• This policy details our ‘Plastic 6R’ framework (refine, reduce, reuse, refill, replace, recycle[d]), that is applied across teaching laboratories, home, campus and workplace environments. Through this framework we have eliminated more than 37,000 pieces of single-use plastic annually.
• Measures also include; publicly available water dispensers, the Bee Cup initiative to reduce the number of single-use cups used, plastic-free drinks service at campus bar Squirrels, Want Not Waste Store in the Student’s Union which offers a stationery recycling facility via Teracycle. 
• We also have targets for more sustainable laboratories (LEAF) – a set of laboratory standards which include the minimisation of plastic.

To support this goal, we have established a dedicated Material Resources Management Group, consisting of operational and academic experts. This group meets regularly to drive efficiencies and embed lifecycle considerations regarding waste and recycling into decision-making and operations across the university. 

Disposable items

We prioritise responsible procurement and material use to minimise disposable items and support a circular economy. This commitment is embedded in our Environmental Sustainability strategy (2023 – 2028), particularly the Resource Management section, which includes actions to increase awareness of material impacts, work with suppliers, staff and students to reduce waste at all stages of procurement, use and disposal, and establish mechanisms to support low-consumption, reuse and sharing models across the University.

These commitments are implemented through clear policies and initiatives, including:

• Plastic 6R approach – a campus wide initiative to always promote the waste hierarchy of reduce, and reuse.
• Targets for more sustainable laboratories (LEAF) – a set of laboratory standards which include the minimisation of disposable items.
• Material Resources Management Group – oversee the development of proposals to drive efficiencies and embed whole life cycle considerations into decision making and operations across the University.
• Responsible Plastics action plan – outlines our commitment, progress, and targets for minimizing plastic waste.

The University also has specific initiatives which minimise the use of disposable items. For example, the Bee Cup scheme, a reusable cup scheme, aims to reduce the number of single-use paper cups used at our campus café locations. Our Furniture Reuse Store diverted 99.6 tonnes from landfill through reuse by the University and local schools and charities. The IT Reuse Centre diverted 5 tonnes through internal reuse during the same period. Our Give It Don’t Bin It student reuse scheme sent 53.7 tonnes of unwanted resources to the British Heart Foundation. 

We ensure compliance with these policies internally and extend them to outsourced services and our supply chain through our Sustainable Procurement Action Plan and Supplier Engagement  procedures.